


Playing Human

by keylimepie



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Crack, Gabriel in the Bunker, Gen or Pre-Slash, I Blame Tumblr, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Partial Nudity, Silly, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-14 01:05:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7145804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keylimepie/pseuds/keylimepie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel is adjusting to being part of Team Free Will. Sam tries to help him do normal human things, with some very interesting consequences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Playing Human

It had been two weeks since Gabriel had turned up in the lives of the Winchesters and Castiel once again. They were overjoyed that he was not dead and had gladly welcomed the archangel’s help in their hunts, and he now seemed to be a permanent fixture in the bunker. In the former, he was a great asset and handled himself perfectly. It was the in between, the downtime in the bunker, that he couldn’t quite grasp. 

Watching TV in the evening, that he had figured out. Though, more than one episode or movie would make him twitchy and he would wander off, ostensibly to get more popcorn. Castiel would follow him out to the kitchen when a few minutes went by and he never returned with the popcorn, and find him carving roses in marzipan or rolling sushi or madly whisking an Alfredo sauce. “Forgot about the popcorn,” he’d say sheepishly. “I made this instead.” Movie snacks became random and unpredictable, and truthfully it was a good change. 

Dean was very particular about the state of the bunker’s kitchen, and after the first few times Gabriel walked away and left a mess behind, he made his demands known. “You mess up the kitchen, you clean it,” he grumbled, tossing a dishtowel at Gabriel, who was curled up in an armchair with a plate of fresh peanut butter fudge. Gabriel sighed and quietly returned to the kitchen. Half an hour later, Sam went out to grab a cup of coffee and found Gabriel surrounded by freshly shined pots and pans, all spread out in a circle around him on the floor. Sam tentatively walked around him to the coffee pot, watching the archangel carefully. 

“Um, I hope you don’t think Dean meant you were supposed to, you know, deep clean the place. He just wants you to do the dishes you dirty and wipe the counters. And honestly, I think that if you make us delicious food – and you do! – we should help clean up too. Just say the word.” 

Gabriel looked up. “No, I don’t mind doing the cleaning. I’m just realizing that there is so much that I need to figure out. Even all these centuries later. I was playing human for a long time, but not really. I never hesitated to use my grace. Now that I know that it’s specifically being hunted, well it’s one thing when we’re on a hunt and already in danger and the alternatives are worse. But here… well I won’t bring them on your head for the sake of saving a little elbow grease on my part.” 

Sam leaned against the counter. “Yeah, I hear you. I mean, I have no idea what it’s like for you, obviously. But I know Cas went through a similar process. You’ll get it. It’s not so bad.” Sam smiled at him, a rare full smile that displayed his dimples perfectly. “And my offer stands for helping with the dishes. Or whatever.” 

“Yeah, okay,” Gabriel said, handing Sam a pot to put away. “So what else should I do to ‘be human’?” 

“Well, um… I guess there’s taking care of yourself like a human would. Eating better, exercising.” 

“My angelic biological processes are still intact. I don’t need to…” 

“But it’s about the experience, right?” Sam protested. “Come on, I’ll make a healthy dinner tonight, and tomorrow morning you can go on my run with me. Just try it.” 

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll give it a shot.” 

“Six A.M. Be ready. Running shoes and everything.” 

Gabriel looked nervous, but agreed. 

It was 5:57 the next morning and Sam was doing his pre-run stretches. The bunker was quiet and the lights were dim. “Chickening out on me, Gabriel?” he wondered aloud. 

“Not hardly,” came the sarcastic reply from behind him. “Allll ready to go, Samsquatch.” 

Sam turned around, and then stumbled when he caught sight of the archangel. 

“Gabriel, you’re. You’re. Um.” 

“Ready to go,” Gabriel repeated. 

“Pantsless.” 

“I asked Castiel; he said you don’t go running in jeans. Look, I found running shoes though.” 

“But you can’t… you can’t just… are you even wearing underwear?” Sam peered at the hem of the long t-shirt, trying to look without really looking. 

“What? No, I never wear underwear.” 

“Whoa!” Sam exclaimed. “That’s, um. Look, Gabe, we need to find you some sweats or gym shorts or something like that. You can’t… you can’t go running bareassed.” 

Gabriel sighed, muttering something in Old Norse that Sam was afraid to ask for a translation of. He went to a duffel bag on the floor and bent over to rummage through it. Sam tried to look away, he really did, but he just could not stop looking. At last, Gabriel stood up and turned around, a bit of blue cloth in his hand. He grinned at Sam as if he had been able to feel the eyes upon his backside. Holding the blue shorts, he lifted one foot and stepped into the shorts, then the other. Sam gulped. 

“Better?” Gabriel asked, adjusting the gym shorts at his waist. Sam nodded. “Alrighty, come on Samshine. Let’s go outside and get that heart rate up.” He walked toward the door, smacking Sam on the butt on the way by. 

“Right. Let’s go.” Sam croaked out. “Running. Let’s go running.”

**Author's Note:**

> You guys, this is totally Richard's fault. If you haven't seen it yet, check out his photo for the Wayward AF t-shirt campaign. I saw this and was unable to control myself.
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/82564029662/photos/a.10153834756154663.1073741827.82564029662/10154226600389663/?type=3&theater


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